Heatwave or Waspwave?

Yes, it is becoming a theme of the summer yet another heatwave with temperatures soaring above 30 degrees this week in the UK- you must think this could be the new norm. However, whilst the suns out in all its glory, sadly beer and sunbathing aren’t the only things we need to be thinking about.

Unfortunately, there are many cons to this weather as we have seen reported with the many wildfires across the country and the ban on hosepipes across parts of Berkshire and the rest of the UK. As for pests well this means the continuation of the wasp season with no signs of letting off.

Why will the wasp season last longer?

Wasp nests begin to take shape in springtime and hope to make it through the summer. Usually because of the erratic weather conditions in the UK some of the nests end up being destroyed by the environment itself. However, this year with the prolonged dry spells and soaring temperatures the likelihood is, is that more nests will make it through the summer period rolling into August and September and perhaps even October.

Wasps usually end up dying off when the conditions become cooler at the end of summer and the new queen will go into hibernation for the winter, see https://www.pestcontrolberkshi... for more info on where to find wasp nests. Currently there is no rush for the queens to hibernate or the males to die off as there are still lots of summery sugars to feed on and their sweet tooth is more prominent than ever as they hope to see out the prolonged summer, and of course we will all help the wasps out with our preference of alfresco dining!

So why do wasps love the sun so much?

As you can see in this video the sun is shining and the wasps are extremely active. Wasps love the sun as its optimal weather for looking for food. As well as this they cannot regulate their own body temperature and ultimately just run better in hot weather. Ants also share similar characteristics, be sure to check out our section on Ants!

Wasps will use their wings to cool the nest down when it gets too hot. However, if it gets extremely hot (43 degrees and above) the nest will die. So even wasps have a breaking point.

The best course of action

The expectation is that the wasps are not quite done yet and judging by our callouts they are busier than ever. The best thing you can do if you suspect you have a wasp nest is call us immediately on 01635 250 852 and we will ensure your heatwave doesn’t become a waspwave!

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